Practical Magic
by Shaggelmalove
Summary: I am no good at summaries so I'd just read the story. Title was changed.
1. A Midnight Snack

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF SCOOBY DOO!**

Arya: But she DOES own George who will come in later stories.

Me: Ah yes thank you Arya!

Arya: no problemo, what are minds for?

Me: :). Anyways on with the story! Oh and sorry chapters will be short, but I'll update often!

Chapter 1: A Midnight Snack

"Like Scoob, not now." Shaggy groaned. He looked over at his bedside table at his alarm-clock which read, 3:15 A.M. "It's like three in the morning!"

"Rut Raggy!" Scooby whined. He was shaking and shivering. As a loud clap of thunder sounded, Scooby yelped and scurried underneath Shaggy's covers, shaking violently.

"Like alright Scoob, I'll make you a deal. If I get up and make us some P.B.J. and S's, you can't wake me up again unless there's an emergency. Deal?" At the mention of the peanut-butter, jelly, and sardine sandwiches, Scooby's eyes lit up and he stopped shaking immediately.

"Real!" Scooby said happily, wagging his tail.

"Alright, come on buddy." Shaggy pushed himself up on his bed with his arms and sat up. Rubbing his eyes Shaggy got up and walked towards his door in his baggy green pajamas and nightcap, his hair slightly more disheveled than it usually was.

They walked down the hall and into Mystery Inc.'s living room. Shaggy, feeling a bit more awake, hopped the counter separating the living room from Mystery Inc.'s kitchen.

While Shaggy was raiding the fridge for the supplies he'd need, Scooby walked into the living room. He almost yelped when he heard a small noise coming from the couch on the far side of the room. Shivering a little as he went, Scooby walked slowly over to the couch, his eyes shut tightly.

Scooby slowly opened his eyes as he neared the sound; he uttered a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was just Velma, asleep on the couch. Scooby knew he ought to wake her, so he gently put his nose in Velma's hand, nudging her slightly.

Velma stirred a moment and opened her eyes sleepily. She sat up slowly and adjusted her glasses.

"Hey Scooby." Velma yawned. "I can't believe I fell asleep down here again! Do you know what time it is?" She asked tiredly, pushing her hair back behind her ears and sitting up a bit straighter in her bright orange nightdress with red lining.

"Ri Relma. Rumm…rit's ree rin the rorning." Scooby replied, some concern showing in his eyes. He didn't like that Velma was falling asleep down here… more than once….

"Don't worry Scooby. They would've told me." Velma told him reassuringly, even though she herself wasn't sure…."

At that moment, Shaggy came through the open doorway carrying a tray of sandwiches as well as two glasses of water.

"OK Scoob, I got- oh! Hey Velma. What are you doing up still?" Shaggy asked curiously. He set the tray down on a coffee table and blushed a bit as he tripped slightly on his own two feet.

"I sort of fell asleep down here…. Again…." Velma admitted turning slightly red herself.

"Oh, well I guess it happens."

"Yea…." An awkward silence fell on a moment that would normally be full of talk and laughter. Scooby, sensing the awkwardness, thought it best if he left the two alone. Oh how wrong he was….


	2. Awkward Thoughts

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF SCOOBY DOO!**

**Chapter Two: Awkward Thoughts**

**Shaggy's POV:**

_Like wow...I can't believe Velma looks so...pretty. She looks so different yet familiar. In her normal day-clothing she likes to hide herself behind loose sweaters and red skirts, but wow, she looks really groovy in her night clothes.... Zoinks! Did I just think what I thought I just did?_

**Velma's POV:**

_Jinkies, Shaggy looks so different in his pajamas! I mean of course I've seen him in them before, but something's not quite the same.... Jinkies! I have no idea why I'm thinking this...._

**Regular POV:**

"So.... I guess I'll see you at breakfast Velms?" Shaggy asked, desperatly trying to act as though he had not just thought romantically about his friend the way he had.

"Yea... goodnight Shaggy." Velma said thankful the conversation was coming to an early end.


	3. The Appointments

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF SCOOBY DOO!  
Colby: I am really sorry about being a procrastinatish person as of late, lot of crap at school, aren't teachers fun? XD  
Arya: But she really DOES love school, she's just a little cranky about the before winter vacation heap of homework and essays.  
Colby: Grrr essays on stupid government.... - glowers -  
Arya: What am I going to do with her huh? Anyways you're probably tired of reading a young girl and her minds many babbles. I hope you enjoy the story! Oh and Colby does too even if she's glowering. ^^**

**Chapter Three: The Appointments**

"Ok Freddie, I'm ready to go!" Velma shouted as she came down the hall the next morning. Freddie had offered to take Velma to an appointment she had that morning at nine o'clock as he was dropping the Mystery Machine off to get her oil changed anyway.  
"Like, in fact I think she's ready Freddie!" Shaggy said, laughing at his own pun.  
"Very funny Shaggy!" Daphne said as she walked past him in the living room towards the door. She was going as well since she had a doctors appointment accross from Coolsville Mechanics, the car-shop Fred was taking the Mystery Machine to. "Ready Fred." She added as she came up to him, giving him a little smile.  
"Well looks like we're all ready. Sure you don't want to come Shag?" Fred said from the doorway.  
"No like thanks for the offer though." Shaggy replied. For some reason he didn't want to go out tonight. He had this strange feeling, a feeling that he couldn't quite define.  
"Scoob?" The great dane looked over at Shaggy, then seeing the confused look in Shaggy's eyes that he could tell meant that he wanted to be alone, nodded and walked out of the door with the rest of the gang.

* * *

20 minutes later, Velma walked into a white waiting room after signing in. 10 minutes after that, she was walking down a long hallway and into a small, white room. 10 minutes later and she was crying in the small, white room....

* * *

30 minutes after leaving Velma at her appointment, Daphne walked into a white waiting room herself. 5 minutes later a nurse down a small hallway and into a small room. 6 minutes later Daphne was shocked into silence....


	4. Confessions

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter 4: Confessions_**

Four hours later, the gang, back at Mystery Inc., was sitting in the living room. All were happy, as it seemed, as they made many jokes and listened to some Christmas music. Sure Thanksgiving was next week and it was technically a little early to be playing such music, but the gang tended to get into the spirit of Christmas early every year for as long as they could remember. Sometime during all the chatter Velma whispered to Daphne,  
"Hey Daph, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
"Oh, sure Velms." Daphne answered curiously. "Guys," she said, now addressing the boys, "Velms and I are going to go get some more Christmas CD's from our rooms. We'll be right back."  
"Kay, hurry back though!" I think the really fast version of Jingle Bells is on the one playing right now." Fred said. One of the gang's favorite Christmas songs was Jingle Bells. Not only because it was high energy, but because they always played it as kids and would always sing along trying to go as fast as the singer without getting tounge-tied. It was a tradition.

* * *

"So what's up Velma?" Daphne asked once they were in the sanctcity of her room. Velma, trying hard not to cry, looked Daphne in the eye and said,  
"It's back." Daphne's heart sank and she felt completely helpless. Velma, no longer able to hold in her tears, sank to the ground against the wall. Daphne, speechless, sat down next to her and cried, hating every moment that this torture that attacked her and her best friend. After a while Daphne got the courage to tell something to Velma herself.  
"I-I don't know if it-it'll make you feel any better, but I-I've got something to tell you t-to Velms."  
"Y-yes?" Looking up from her lap and into Daphne's eyes. Daphne took a deep breath and gave Velma one small, weak smile.  
"I'm pregnant."


	5. A Walk

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter 5: A Walk_**

"Really Daph? Th-that's great!" Velma said risking a smile.  
"I don't know what to tell Freddie though...." Daphne whispered, fear hidden within her voice. Daphne and Fred had been officially together for about a year or two now. I've made _another_ mess I can't clean up. No wonder I'm a Blake." Velma sat up a bit straighter and fixed her glasses.  
"Daph, you're looking on the negative side of things. For all we know Fred might actually like this. Daph the sooner you tell him the better."  
"I guess you're right." Daphne sighed getting up. Velma got up herself and the girls began looking for Christmas CD's. They grabbed what they could find and left. The boys were sitting and chatting when they got back.  
"Freddie, can I talk to you?" Daphne asked after a few minutes and a couple fast-beat songs.  
"Sure Daph." Fred said getting up from a blue armchair to follow Daphne out. She led him down the hall and into her room.  
"So what'd you want to talk about?" Fred asked curious to know why she seemed so serious.  
"Fred do you remember, when we were in that hotel in Helena, Montanna last month? When we went to solve the mystery of the one-eyed phantom?" Fred smiled at the memory. He took Daphne into his arms and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.  
"Of course I do. Who could forget a night like that?" _Certainly not me.... _Dapne thought to herself.  
"Well... it seems we got more than we bargained for...." Daphne was getting more and more nervous as the moment of truth crept nearer.  
"What do you mean?" Fred frowned in confusion.  
"Freddie.... I'm pregnant."

* * *

"Shaggy?" Velma asked about half-way throught their conversation.  
"Yea Velms?" Shaggy asked, snapped out of his thoughts, which for once were **not** about food.  
"Can-will you go for a walk with me?" Velma blushed as she said this.  
"Uh, sure...." Shaggy's voice was unsure. Velma seemed so... serious....

* * *

The two were silent as they walked through the woods. Shaggy had no idea where she was leading him, but he knew it had to be important. Finally the old tree-house came into view and Shaggy relaxed a little.  
They walked inside and Shaggy pulled the chord on the generator giving them some light.  
"So... what's up Velms." Shaggy broke the awkward silence. He immediatly wished he had said nothing at all. Velma let the tears flow from her eyes as he put his arm around her.  
"I-it's back...." Was all he heard her say. He pulled Velma into a strong hug and tried his best to hold back his tears.


	6. Nasty Thoughts and a Big Surprise

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!!!  
Me: Sorry it's been a while since I've updated this thing. I've been... busy?  
Arya: If by 'busy' you mean lazy, then yes you have.  
Me: Hey at least I started writing it again today!  
Arya: Yes, but how long has it been since you've actually written part of the story? Hmmm?  
Me:.... Ummmm.... - looks over at the rest of the people only I can see - Do you guys know?  
Arya: Exactly.  
Annabeth: Well while you two sort that little thing out, I'll just let them know that it's totally pointless anyway and that they just probably want to read the story.  
Ajihad: Yes, very well put dearie.  
Annabeth: Oh, well thank you. - blushes -  
Arya: Hey wait... aren't you dead?  
Ajihad:.... Oh my God a distraction! - turns and runs -  
Me and Arya: Ok....  
Me: On with the story?....**

**_Chapter Six: Nasty Thoughts and a Big Suprprise_**

After things had died down a bit and Velma was no longer crying, Shaggy risked a question.  
"Are you sure Velms?" She hated seeing the amount of concern and seriousness in his eyes where there normally was a twinkle of laughter.  
"Yes.... They say so at least...." Velma stared down at her lap, every now and then giving unsteady breaths. Shaggy put a hand on her shoulder.  
"You know Velms, you're not alone. And you never will be." Velma looked up and into Shaggy's face and eyes. Green eyes met brown and something clicked. Shaggy found himself leaning in and Velma felt as though her heart couldn't beat any faster than it was now.  
Shaggy came closer and closer until finally, rosy lips met tough, light pink ones. Velma, now realizing what was happening, got up fastly and suddenly shocking not only Shaggy but herself. She stood there in silence a moment, looked at Shaggy one last time, and ran out the door, leaving a **very **confused Shaggy.

* * *

"Oh Daph....Are you absolutley positive?" Fred asked in complete shock, now taking a seat on the edge of the bed.  
"As sure as can be." Daphne said, trying her best to look strong. She let out one sigh before sitting down in her computer chair. "You don't-you're not happy, are you?" Daphne knew he wouldn't, couldn't be happy. She should have just kept her big mouth shut.  
"No, no sweetie." Fred said soothingly, moving over on the bed and putting his arm around her once more. "I am happy. Really, I am. I just wasn't expecting this.... At least not for a few more years...."  
"I don't know what we're going to do...." As this thought was said, something dark dawned on Daphne. "Freddie.... What's going to happen to the gang?"  
Fred's face went blank. _What would happen to the gang? Would we still be able to solve mysteries? With a baby? _"I don't know Daph.... I don't know...." was all Fred could manage to say.

* * *

**Me: What will happen?  
Arya: Will the gang still be able to stay together despite all that's happening?!  
Annabeth: WILL FRED EVER GET A BRAIN!!!!  
Arya: You know that was a little uncalled for.  
Ajihad: She has a point.... When has Fred ever shown that he has an actual brain?  
Me: You know what? You're not even ALIVE!  
Ajihad:Well then Little Miss Sassy Pants.  
Me: Grrrrr....  
Arya: Knock it off you two it's bad enough they already know we're crazy, we don't want to scare them away too!  
Me: Darn it you're right! But just because we're crazy, that does not make it a _bad_ thing.  
Arya: Oh whatever! Please review her story and such.  
Me: Hidden hostility much?**


	7. The Valley

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Seven: The Valley_**

Shaggy sat there dumbfounded. Why had he just done that? _She probably hates me now...._ Shaggy got up silently kicking himself and walked out the door and into the snow.

Shaggy didn't know what to do now, so he just started walking. After about two hours. He stopped dead in his tracks. Something, something, was familiar about this place.... Then it hit Shaggy. This was THE valley. The valley where it all started.

* * *

Velma ran, she didn't know where she was running and personally she didn't care. Tears were streaming down her cheecks but she couldn't feel them. Suddenly she was lying face-down in the snow. She'd tripped and fallen. She sat up slowly. She sat there for a moment or two taking in her surroundings. She hadn't the vaguest idea where she was. It was then that she realized that her glasses had, once again, fallen off her face.  
She got on her hands and knees and began to feel around. Entually her hands clasped on something metal, but it wasn't her glasses.

* * *

Fred stood up and held out his hand for Daphne. She gladly took it and they walked back out together. Once they got back to the living room, they immediatly noticed something was missing. Where were Shaggy and Velma?  
"Fred where could they have gone? It's freezing out!" Daphne said, panic clear in her voice. "Velma.... Her condition...." Daphne stood stock still. What if she faints out there in the snow?  
" Daph, what are you talking about?" Fred asked, concern thick in his voice.  
"Velma's sick again. You know how dangerous that can be! What if she faints? What if she has a nervous break down? Fred we **have** to find her!" Daphne rushed to grab her coat and gloves while Fred stood there taking in this rush of information.  
"Fred! Don't just stand there! We have to find them!" Daphne shouted from the door.  
"Right.... Find them...." Fred muttered as he grabbed his own coat and gloves and headed out the door after Daphne. "Find them...."

* * *

**Me: So... I know chapters are short.... But I promise the next chapter will be longer!  
Arya: Besides that, what do you think?  
Annabeth: Is it good? Bad?  
Ajihad: Is Freddie a dunderhead?  
Me: You're dead so I choose to ignore you.... - whispers - He's dead, he's dead, he's dead....  
Ajihad: Whatever, you're just jealous....  
Arya: Why? Why did I get stuck with these two???  
Me: You don't love us :(  
Arya: No I do really! Well I love you but not the creepy dead dude....  
Ajihad: Oh gee thanks.... I feel _so _special.  
Me: ^^. Anyways, please review and such :)**


	8. Memories

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Eight: Memories _**

Shaggy couldn't believe his eyes. It'd been years since they'd been here.... Well since the 'accident'. The members of the gang were all very young when they'd found this place. Velma was six, Daphne was seven, and Shaggy and Fred were both eight. They'd just started solving mysteries as the Scooby Doo Detective Agency with Shaggy's puppy, a pup named Scooby Doo, when they came accross this valley.  
When they found it, it was beautiful. They valley was full of flowers and young saplings, blooming full in the midsummer sun. It was then that Velma noticed something. She pointed it out to the rest of the gang and they went down to investigate. It was then, when they had gotten down into the valley and up close to the glittering object, that a hand closed on Velma's shoulder. Before she could scream another went over her mouth.  
The man behind her grabbed her and took off with Velma kicking and screaming. Her friends were running after her but as soon as they went into the trees the man was gone... with Velma.  
The gang had run back to go find help. Once they did the search began for Velma. They looked for hours, but nothing turned up. Around midnight, Mr. Rogers, Shaggy's father, was just about to send the children home for the night, when Scooby suddenly caught a whiff of something familiar.  
Too excited to listen to Mr. Rogers warning, the children raced after the puppy, hope renewed. Scooby eventually led them to what appeared to be a wall of trees. That is until Scooby raced right through it. The kids, seeing this, ran right though as well. Shaggy ran right over to where Scooby was standing and gasped.  
There in the corner of this little cave lay Velma. Her little form lying in a puddle of deep scarlet blood. She had deep cuts and dark, purple bruises all over her little body. Her glasses were crushed on the ground next to her, there were incriminating clawmarks on her back, and blood was trickeling slowly down from her ears and onto her sweet, innocent orange t-shirt. Blood stains were soaking in at all different areas of her body where clothing still remained unripped or damaged.  
"V-Velma?" Shaggy asked in disbelief. He stood there unable to move, everything blurred. He suddenly felt quesy and everything went black.  
The next thing Shaggy could remember, he was lying in a hospital bed in Coolsville Medical Hospital. He groaned and sat up taking in his surroundings. His head hurt and he slowly lifted a hand to his forehead where he felt a bandage tied securely over a cut or a bruise, he didn't know. He looked over at his right and saw a small, brunnette girl lying in the bed next to him. Shaggy got up instantly and ran over.  
"Velma! Velma?" He shouted. Once he was by her side and saw the girl's face, he knew it wasn't Velma. He raced out into the hall. "Velma!?" He shouted once more.  
"Shaggy?" Came a girl's voice. He looked over at the sound, hopes high.  
"Velma?"  
"No, It's me. Daphne!" She said rushing over to him and giving him a big hug. Next came Fred and a concerned Mr. Rogers. From out the window behind them he could see a whing puppy and knew it was Scooby.  
"Where's Velma?" He asked frantically, panic rising within him.  
"Son, settle down. I don't want you moving so fast." Mr. Rogers said, leading his son over to some vacated chairs. One Shaggy had settled down, he once more asked,  
"Where's Velma?" Mr. Rogers let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.  
"Son, she's in the ICU." Mr. Rogers explained, hoping to God he wouldn't have to explain any further. Not after the first time he had to explain, Fred, Daphne and Scooby had started crying. He didn't want to see anymore tears. Especially not from Norville.  
"The ICU?" Shaggy asked, fear clear in his voice. That place sounded way too scary. Mr. Rogers sighed again and looked his son in the eye.  
"The Intensive Care Unit. She's badly hurt son." Shaggy took in this news and darkness enveloped his already weakened body. The next thing he remembered he was walking down a long, white hallway with his friends and father to the Intensive Care Unit. He remembered having to look through a pale glass window to see his friend. It was one of the most horrible sights he had ever seen. There she was, her little form covered in bandages, some with dark, scarlet red blots on them. Tubes were sticking from her arms and all sorts of complicated devices were attached to her. Shaggy had no idea what they were for, but he hated seeing them hooked up to her.  
Over the next few months, Velma would show signs of getting better, but the bruises would stay. That's when they started to do tests of all kinds on fragile little Velma. Eventually they came to the sad conclusion that little Velma, Velma Dace Dinkley, had Leukemia. She spent the next 6 months in the hospital. Getting horrible treatments and tests. THen when she was let free. She wanted to forget everything and go back to how things were before. It worked fairly well, the only times those sad, depressing memories dawned on any member of the gang, was when Velma would have to do more than just have a few doctors appointments and a few pills to keep her cancer at bay.  
Shaggy never forgot what happened, and doubts he ever will....

* * *

**Me: Well, what do you think? Is this chapter any good?  
Arya: - sniffles - Poor Velma! And to think, that this could have happened to us!  
Me: Ummm maybe... if there were any valleys in Buffalo and Leukemia ran in my family....  
Arya: Yea but there's still the Ovarian Cancer!  
Me: That won't even begin to effect me till I'm like 40 years old. And that's even if it's been passed on to me.  
Arya: Oh well! That still could have been us!  
Annabeth: If you two are quite finished fighting over if we'll get cancer and when, can we please get back to the topic!  
Me: Oh, right. Hehe.... Ummm please review?**


	9. More Memories

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Nine: More Memories_**

Velma picked up the object and tried to see what it was. Without her glasses though, it was useless. She put the object in her jacket pocket and continued her search. Eventually she found her glasses and put them back on her face where they belong. She took the object back out of her pocket and examined it with her improved vision. She gasped at what she saw, it was a small knife. It was dull and rusted as though it had been there for several years. Her hands shaking, Velma slowly turned it over and scraped some of the rust off of the metal at the base of the knife just above the handle. There she found what she was hoping wouldn't be there. There at the base of the knife was an engraved symbol. The symbol was nothing but a worn out X, but it was enough to make Velma jump at the sight of it.  
She stood up and took a closer look at her surroundings. She was in a dense wooded area. She looked shakily to her left and saw the opening to a cave long since forgotten. She shuddered as memories flooded her mind. She saw herself and her friends when they had only just started calling themselves the Scooby Doo Detective Agency.  
She walked with them down to a beautiful hill overlooking a beautiful valley filled with all different species of wildflower and towering oaks as well as young saplings. She noticed something sparkle in the corner of her eye. She looked over at it, but she still couldn't tell what the object was. She tapped her friends on the shoulder and pointed over to where the object lay sparkeling.  
The gang began to walk carefully down the hill towards the object. Once there, Velma adjusted her glasses to get a better look at whatever the shiny object was. That's when she felt a firm, gloved hand on her shoulder. She was just about to scream when another hand clamped over her mouth. She was picked up and thrown over a tall man's shoulder. The man began to run and she started kicking and screaming as hard as she could. She saw her friends racing after her. She reached out a small hand towards her friendseven though she knew she couldn't reach them.  
The man took her into the woods and through what appeared to be a wall of trees. Velma lost all sight of her friends. She was thrown roughly on the ground in the corner of a small cave that must have formed at the base of the small hill. The man took off Velma's glasses before she could get a closer look at him. She heard a sickening sound of crushing glass and knew that her glasses were no more. The man kneeled in front of her a gave a small chuckle.  
"Do you, by any chance, recognize my voice? You should. You took everything you know. I used to be the number one man in the business. Until you and your damned friends decided to come and 'investigate'! I had fucking everything! My plan was completely foolproof! I would've been the richest man in Coolsville! Richer than those damn Blakes." The man paused and took a gleaning object out of his coat pocket. "Do you see this little X, oh wait right. Well it stands for my hopes and dreams. You crushed them when you took my mask off. Now I'm going to crush you."  
The man began to laugh cruelly as he dug his knife into Velma and enjoyed every little scream she made. When he grew tired of simply cutting and stabbing her tiny form, he began to beat her. He dug his nails into her skin and dragged them harshly down her back, leaving deep scarlet ruts.  
When the man was done having his fun, he put hi knife into his coat pocket. "Sweet dreams." He said in a false caring voice, as he climbed up and out of a hole in the roof of the cave, using the cover of nightfall as his hidden allie. He never even noticed the knife fall from his pocket and onto the ground below.  
Velma by now had lost all conscienceness of her body, but the last thing she heard before she completely blacked out, was the sound of footsteps and a young boy's voice call out,  
"Velma?"

When she woke up next, all kinds of tubes and devices were hooked up to her. She looked over at the pale glass window next to the door and saw three young children and a grown man. She didn't have time to recognize them before she blacked out once more.  
The next few months were a blur of tests and X-rays. She remembered spending six months alone in the hospital after being diagnosed with Luekemia.  
Velma turned the knife over in her hands. She then turned around and walked to the edge of the trees and, as hard as she could, through the knife into the valley below.


	10. The Search

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Me: Well this is the last chapter I'm uploading for tonight. I might upload tomorrow.  
Arya: You have an orthadontist appointment to get your retainer fixed.  
Annabeth: And don't forget hanging out with Erica!  
Me: Ok then maybe not.... Anyway enjoy the story!  
Athena: And please review!  
Me: Thank you Athena :)**

**_Chapter Ten: The Search _**

"Freddie look!" Daphne shouted. Fred came running over to where she was standing.  
"Footprints." He said smiling. They had begun to follow the footprints when they heard the sound of crunching snow behind them. They whirled around and jumped in surprise at what they saw.  
"Oh Scooby, thank God it's only you!" Daphne sighed in relief. "What are you doing out here? We thought you were asleep."  
"Ri rant to rind Relma and Raggy!" Scooby whined heartbroken. "Ran I rome rith rou?"  
"Oh Scooby! Of course you can!" Daphne said as she ran over and gave Scooby a very big hug. They continued to follow the footsteps and were suprised when the trail led them to the old hangout.  
"Looks like the tracks break off into two separate trails. We'll have to split up." Fred announced. "I'll follow the trail to the left," Fred said pointing left. "And you two, Daphne, Scooby, follow the trail to the right." Fred once again pointed only this time to the right. "If anyone finds anything, go immediatly back here and sound our old alarm. Got it?"  
"Got it!" Daphne and Scooby said together in unison.

* * *

Daphne and Scooby followed their trail of footsteps down a trail and into a deeper wooded area. Daphne had an eery feeling she'd been here before.  
"Raphne! Ri srell romethring ramiliar!" Scooby announced, excitement clear in his voice. He took off running with Daphne close behind and came to a halt at the mouth of a cave.  
"No way...." Daphne exclaimed. "The cave...." The two of them walked in cautiously. "Velma? Shaggy?" Daphne almost jumped out of her skin, but had just enough time to catch Scooby, when she heard a groan from the corner of the cave.  
"Rorry Raphne." Scooby said as he jumped from her arms. They turned around and saw Velma, lying on the ground.  
"Velma!" Daphne shouted rushing over.  
"Daph...?" Velma asked waking up.  
"Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

Fred walked through the trees with a steady gait. After a while he emerged from the woods to find a young man with messy hair sitting on top of a hill. Fred crept up the hill slowly and silently. When he got close enough to boy he asked gently, "Shaggy?" The young man stood up and turned around.  
"Hey Freddie." Shaggy sighed.  
"Hey Shag, what's wrong?" He asked, sensing the sadness in his best friends voice.  
"I kissed her."


	11. The Object and the Roof

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Arya: Well, weren't those last few chapters depressing?  
Me: Yea, I honostly have no idea why I decided to make the story even more depressing than it already was.  
Athena: You did so because I'm your muse and I told you too.  
Annabeth: Why don't you like Velma?  
Athena: Who said I disliked Velma? I just kinda thought those scenes would go with the story, that's all.  
Me: Look, no one hates or dislikes anyone. Well, except for maybe Scrappy Doo and Ajihad, but that's different.  
Ajihad: Hey what did I do?  
Me: You're freaking dead, and you STILL follow us around!  
Ajihad:So.... Maybe I think you guys are fun!  
Arya: You're disgusting and we're off topic.  
Athena: You're right!  
Annabeth: Ooo! Can I say it?! Please, please, please!  
Me: Ok, lol, go ahead!  
Annabeth: Enjoy the story! -  
Arya: And please Review!  
Annabeth: Hey!  
Arya: ^^**

**_Chapter Eleven: The object and the Roof_**

"Velma?" Fred asked confused. He didn't think Shaggy liked any girls around town at the moment.  
"Yea...." Shaggy replied sullenly.  
"And you're upset because...?"  
"I don't know why I did it. She's gotta hate me now! I've ruined a perfectly good friendship, and the gang...." Shaggy said taking a kick at the ground out of anger with himself.  
"Shag, you didn't ruin Mystery Inc. There's more to the gang than just that! Besides, if anyone ruined it, it's me."  
"What'd you do?" Shaggy wondered. _What could possibly be worse than this?  
"_Daphne's pregnant." Fred said sitting down on a large boulder.  
"What? That's great though Fred! What you did is understandable, what I did is unforgivable."  
"Shag, what could a kiss possibly have done?"  
"It made her run off and I don't know if she'll ever come back.... I don't blame her either if she chooses to leave because of my stupid move!" Shaggy felt tears sting his eyes but he was too upset to care.  
"Come on Shaggy. Let's go home." Fred said getting up and going over to Shaggy. "I don't like the feel of this place. I don't think we should be here." Shaggy sighed and looked one last time at the valley. At first, he thought he was just imagining things, but when he looked again, he saw something glint in the feilds below. Without saying a word, he began to slowly walk down the hill and into the valley below. "Shaggy?" Fred asked confused. "Where are you going?" Shaggy didn't answer. He just kept walking towards the glittering object.  
Fred sighed. Questions were useless, so he began to follow Shaggy down the hill and through the valley. A breeze blew past Fred and he shivered. Why did he have the strangest feeling he'd been here before?  
Shaggy was so close. He could see the glint from the object directly in front of him. Only a few more yards and he'd have it. He began to run. Shaggy felt an intense importance to this object. It was here. He picked it up. It was a dull, rusty knife. The only part that was glinting was the engraved symbol just abouve the hilt. He held it up to the moonlight for a better look. The symbol was an X. Shaggy dropped the knife and it clammered to the soft, snow covered ground below. There was only one knife he knew of that had an X on it precisely where this X was....  
"Shag, what was that all about?" Fred asked, now at Shaggy's side. Shaggy didn't answer, instead he turned around and walked right past him, heading for home. "Ok then...."

* * *

Daohne got Velma on her feet but immediatly had to put her arm around her for support. "This isn't good...." She muttered under her breath. She began to walk with Velma slowly and carefully, making sure that Velma wasn't going to fall. After two full hours, and a few stumbles and close calls, they were back at the treehouse. Thhis time, the lights were on on the inside.  
Daphne carefully got Velma up the two or three small steps and Scooby opened the door for them. As soon as they stepped inside, Fred got up from his chair and helpde Velma to the couch. Once Velma was settled, Daphne turned to Fred and whispered,  
"Any luck finding Shaggy?"  
"Yea, he's up on the roof." Fred said pointing a finger upward.  
"Should we tell him we found Velma?"

* * *

**Me: Leaving you with a little cliffhanger ;)  
Arya: So did you guys like it? I think we did pretty good considering its 12:30 pm and _someone_ I know, still hasn't gotten out of her pajamas.  
Athena: Lol, Arya! You should talk! As I happen to recall you're the one who tells her that it's Monday and we're on vacation so we should be relaxing!  
Arya: Grrr....  
Annabeth: Ha! Serves you right sis. You shouldn't have stolen my line.  
Me: Life with voices inside your mind. - sighs - Never gets boring :)**


	12. Stay

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Me: How're things going so far? I'm loving the reviews so far! Thank you sooooo much to anyone who reviewed my story!  
Athena: Yes the reviews have helped a lot, they motivate me to motivate her to come up with more story. :)  
Annabeth: Yea they are nice, - cough - Arya - cough -  
Arya:.... What?  
Ajihad: It's your turn duckie.  
Athena: Duckie?  
Annabeth: You know he gets weirder everyday?  
Me: Of course he does! He's dead!  
Arya: Ummm... so anyway, please enjoy the story! -  
Annabeth: And don't forget to review!  
Arya: Hey! That was -  
Annabeth: Your line? Precisely.  
Me: - hidden laughter - On with the story!**

**_Chapter Twelve: Stay_**

"I don't know... he's feeling a bit rough." Fred explained.  
"Why? What happened? He isn't hurt is he?" Daphne asked frantically.  
"Yes... but not in the way, you're thinking."  
"What do you mean? What's wrong?"  
Fred sighed. So many questions and he only knew so much. "Come with me." He said as he walked towards the door and out into the snow, a few yards away from the treehouse. Once Daphne was with him, he made sure he was out of earshot of Shaggy. He dropped his voice to barely a whisper and said, "Shaggy kissed her."  
"Who? Velma?" Daphne almost shouted. Fred out a finger to his lips, and Daphne nodded. "Velma?" She whispered. Fred nodded his response and Daphne let out a smile. "Why is he upset about that? I think it's cute."  
"Well he thinks she hates him." Fred whispered back but soon motioned for all noise to stop. They heard the sound of snow falling to the ground and vinyl sliding accross wood. Shaggy was off the roof.

* * *

Shaggy carefully slid off the roof and onto the soft, snow covered ground below. What point was there to just sitting there feeling sorry for himself? He walked up the back steps, through the back door, and into the treehouse. Was it his imagination, or did he just see the brunnette hair, just visible over the arm of the couch, he thought he saw? Shaggy walked cautiously over to the couch, fearing, yet wanting, what he might see. His conflicting thoughts were correct, there on the couch lay Velma, fast asleep in her bright orange jacket, red skirt, and orange leggings. He kneeled down next to the couch in front of her.  
"Velma... wake up." He whispered. When she didn't move, he took his hand and gently nudged her shoulder. "Velma...." This time she stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes.  
"Shaggy...?" She whispered, hoping it was him.  
"Yea... it's me." He said, moving to get up. Velma, slowly and shakily, reached out her hand to stop him.  
"Don't go...." Her voice was barely audible. "Stay...."


	13. Shocking News

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Me: It's 11:44 p.m. and I'm not tired so I figured I'd right another chapter just for you guys :D  
Arya: Yea but unfortunatly as long as she's up, we're up.  
Annabeth: Look on the bright side sis, you get to be up with Ajihad even longer than normal!  
Ajihad - wriggles eyebrows at Arya -  
Arya: Dear lord take me now!  
Athena: I know what you mean, it's gotta be creepy to have a dead dude stalk you.  
Me: While their busy with that, I'll say it. Please enjoy the story and don't forget to review!**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Shocking News_**

Once they heard the door close to the treehouse, Fred took Daphne's hand and they crept slowly and quietly up to one of the windows, crouched down, and peered inside. They saw Shaggy, kneeling in front of a sleeping Velma.  
"Aww." Daphne said aloud. Fred shushed her.  
"Do you want him to hear us?" He whispered.  
"Right, sorry." She whispered back.  
"We should probably leave. You know, give them some 'alone' time together."  
"Should we go back to the house? And where did Scooby go? He wasn't in the treehouse when we stepped out."  
"He's right there." Fred said pointing to a large dog fighting a squirrel over a peanut. Fred crept carefully to his left so that he would be out of view of the window and stood up. Daphne did the same to her right and they both jumped from the porch and tip-toed over to where Scooby was. "Scoob. Come on, we have to go home now."  
"Rhat rarout Raggy and Relma?" Scooby questioned, uninterested in the squirrel after it had won the battle and disappeared with Scooby's peanut.  
"They're coming back later Scoob. No worries." Daphne assured him, giving the great dane an affectionate rub between the ears.  
"Roh Kray." Scooby said following Daphne and Fred as they made their way home.

* * *

"Velma.... you want me to stay? After what I did?" Shaggy was bewildered. He kneeled fully down again in front of her. She tried to give a weak smile, but it failed.  
"Shaggy.... I wasn't angry... at you...." Velma said. Why did she sound so weak? "I ran because.... Because...." She stopped her sentence there. Tears were welling in her dark brown eyes.  
"Because why?" Shaggy said, raising a hand and brushing loose strands of Velma's hair off of her face. Velma looked away from his eyes and focused on the ground below. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and in that tear, Shaggy felt his heart break. How could your heart remain intact at such a depressing sight? He never _ever _liked seeing Velma cry, it made him sad in a way he couldn't explain. Come to think of it, it always has. "You can tell me. You can always tell me." He said, brushing that single tear from her face and tilting her chin up.  
"Sh-Shaggy.... I'm dying...." Velma managed to get out before the tears began to flow freely and she lost all use of her voice.


	14. Confessions and an Awkward Chat

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO GANG!!!!  
Me: Well I'm lovin' the reviews!  
Annabeth and Arya: Badababada! I'm lovin' it!  
Me: XD, I love you guys!  
Arya: Hug?  
Annabeth: Hug!  
Me: Eh, ok ^^  
Athena: Awww, well I guess they're busy. So -  
Ajihad: Oo! Can I _please _say it?  
Athena: Alright.  
Ajihad: Enjoy the story duckies! And don't forget the reviews!**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Confessions and an Awkward Chat _**

"Velma.... No...." Shaggy said tears slowly making their way down his face. "It can't be true.... It can't."  
"I'm sorry Shag-Shaggy...." Velma looked down on the ground once more. "You...hate me...don't you...?" Velma asked shakily, hoping, for the first time, that her hypothesis was incorrect.  
"No... I could never _ever _hate you. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and honost. I could never hate you." Shaggy took a deep breath before this next sentence. "In fact, I love you." Shaggy bent down and gave Velma a gentle, questioning kiss, as if asking her if she would accept him. When he pulled away, he looked Velma in the eye and something, smething neither could explain, passed through that one glance. "And... and I always will."  
Velma felt something inside her, something that she had a nagging feeling had always been there, silently waiting to be released. "I...I love you... too Shaggy...." Velma said giving a smile she hoped wouldn't reveal just how weak she really was. "Till the day... I... die...." Velma said, lying her head down. Shaggy knew she was only tired, but it still scared him.  
"I'm taking you home." Shaggy said, more to himself than Velma. He picked her up gently and held her with one hand below her upper-middle back area, and one hand below her knees, making sure she was secure. He held her close, mostly to keep her warm, but for other reasons as well. He carried her home the entire way there.  
When he stepped inside, no lights were on, so he assumed Fred, Daphne, and Scooby had gone to bed. He crept through the living room and up the stairs. He walked down a long hallway and through an orange door into Velma's room. He walked over to the red armchair in the corner of her room and set her down gently. He walked over to the bed and pulled back the red blankets and orange sheets. That's when he realized his problem. Velma's clothes would need to be changed, and no one else was up. Shaggy pondered whether or not he should change her clothes for her, or just simply take off her jacket and shoes and have her go to bed like that instead. He decided that it was way too cold to sleep in her normal clothes. He walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of orange pajama pants and an orange long sleeve, button-down, collared orange pajama shirt with red lining around the pocket on the front. He put them on the bed and walked nervously over to Velma. He picked her up again and lay her down on the bed. He carefully took off her glasses, folded them up, and set them down on her nightstand. Next he took off her shoes and placed them neatly in her closet under the label shoes and next to all the other red shoes she owned. Then came the orange ankle socks, which he folded neatly and put in her clothing basket in the corner of her room followed by her orange leggings. The next part Shaggy was really nervous about. The skirt. His hands were shaking a little as he went to take it off. He stopped. He couldn't do this, Velma just told him she loves him, he doesn't want to risk it all now by being stupid. He walked out of her room and accross the hall. He knocked on Daphne's door twice and when no answer came, he entered. He saw Daphne asleep in her bed with Scooby at the foot of the bed, no doubt because he didn't want to sleep alone. He bent over Daphne and shook her shoulder. "Daph? Wake up! I need your help." Daohne slowly stirred and said sleepily,  
"Not now, Freddie.... Later... I'm too tired." Shaggy hoped she meant to play a nice friendly game of checkers.  
"Daphne! It's me, Shaggy! Fred's in his room!"  
"Shaggy, what do you need?" She yawned.  
"It's Velma, I need you to get her dressed." At that, Daphne was wide awake.  
"Why is she undressed?"  
"She has clothes on! I need you to get her dressed for _bed."  
_"Bed! Shaggy what are you two planning to do tonight!"  
"Daphne! I meant for her to go to _sleep_. And by sleep, I mean in her bed, by herself, in her pajamas, eyes closed, having nice dreams."  
"Oh, okay. That I can help with!"

* * *

**Me: So is this chapter garbage, or gold?  
Annabeth: I like Daphne's sleepy thoughts XD  
Arya: Of course _you _would.  
Athena: Do you two ever stop fighting?  
Arya: Yea, but what's the fun in that?  
Annabeth: Yea. See we can agree.  
Ajihad: Haha! That rhymed!  
Me: I love you guys. Anyways, please review!**


	15. A Ray of Hope

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Fifteen: A Ray of Hope_**

The next morning, the gang was sitting together at the breakfast table eating, well breakfast. That morning Fred was going to drive Velma to the hospital for a doctors appointment with her doctor, Dr. Kadoodledaan. This was going to be Velma's last appointment there before she would be switched to Coolsville Medical Hospital for further examination. Only this time, the entire gang was coming with her. They even got special permission to bring Scooby.  
Once the gang had fnished their breakfast, Fred grabbed his coat and stood by the door.  
"I'm going to warm up the Mystery Machine. When you guys are ready, let me know." With that said he stepped out the door and into the snow making his way to the good ole' Mystery Machine.  
"Velma, are you sure you want to go?" Daphne asked her for about the 10th time that morning as she pulling on her purple jacket over her green scarf. "You could barely stand last night."  
"I'll be fine Daph, really. I think it was just the cold weather. I was out there for a while." Velma tried reassuring her, even if she wasn't totally sure herself, as she was pulling on her red gloves.  
"Alright... if you're sure."  
"Like, ready to go girls?" Shaggy asked from the doorway, already clad in his green coat and brown scarf and gloves. Scooby was sitting beside him with a blue and yellow striped scarf around his neck with a matching stocking hat.  
"Yea, we're ready." Velma answered walking past him. To show Shaggy she remembered everything that happened last night, she gave a barely visible nod and a wink as she walked past, that to anyone else could easily have been mistaken for a misstep as she was walking out the door.

About twenty minutes later, the gang was waiting in the same, pale-white waiting room Velma had been in only yesterday. When Velma was called in, the rest of the gang had to stay in the waiting room. They tried to look as though they weren't nervous at all, like they were only waiting to have a check-up, but it didn't work well. Everyone in the room could tell the gang was nervous.

Velma walked with the nurse down the same hallway, through the same door, and into the same room. Dr. Kadoodledaan came in a moment later.  
"Ah yes, Velma Dinkley. How are you today?" He asked kindly.  
"I could be better. Yourself?" Velma asked, choosing to be polite even though she hated small talk.  
"Well I've had better days myself, but I can't complain too much. Now onto the topic Miss Dinkley. Do you remember yesterday when I told you that there were no more options left, that the chemical treatments wouldn't do you any good this time around?" Velma nodded in response. "Good, good. Well, turns out I was wrong. There is another treatment, I just wasn't sure Coolsville Medical had the proper equipment until I was informed they do this morning." Velma was shocked. Maybe she could live after all. "It's called a bone marrow transplant. You should be totally safe and I trust you know of the topic?" Velma once again nodded, she remembered studying it maybe a year or two ago. "If we can find you a match anywhere in Coolsville, we should be able to save you. Would you like to try it?" Velma thought this over. She decided that if she was going to make this decision, she wasn't going to make it on her own. She'd have to talk to the gang about it.  
"If you don't mind doctor, can I have one day to think about it? Or is that too long to wait?"  
"You may have one day. And by one day, I mean one day. You might not be awake if we wait anylonger." _One day...._


	16. A New Friend

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Sixteen: A New Friend_**

Velma was sitting in her room listening to music. She was waiting for the gang to get home from shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to come, but it had been a no from everybody. They wanted her to rest. She couldn't help but start to think of Shaggy as the beatles came on the radio. _I can't believe he loves me. _Velma always knew there was something more to Norville Rogers than what appeared and that something had always appealed to her whether she wanted to admit it or not.

The gang had just arrived at the grocery store. As they were walking inside, they overheard two young teenagers talking.  
"Did you hear about that girl?"  
"Who? Melinda?"  
"Yea that's the one. I hear she got beat up by her own _dad_. How pathetic is that?"  
"She probably deserved it. I mean really, what _normal _kid actually _likes _to learn and gets straight A's?"  
"I know right! I hear she's in the ICU. To be honost, I hope she dies." The gang walked into the store and began to collect their grocereries. Shaggy was beginning to wonder who this Melinda kid was. It was nagging in the back of his mind.

Velma decided that, rest or no rest, she needed to go out for some fresh air. She went downstairs and pulled on her coat, hat and gloves, and stepped outside. She took a trail through the woods and began to walk to the old treehouse. When she got there, she was surprised to hear someone inside. She opened the door carefully and looked inside. Inside she saw a small, teenage girl, she had long, dark brunnette curls that hung to her lower back, and beautiful, bright-green eyes that looked so beautiful Velma couldn't believe they were real. She had a petite form and she wore glasses that fit with her perfectly. She was wearing a torn, red sweater, worn out blue jeans and regular sneakers. There was only one problem with her appearence. All over the girls face were cuts and unhealed bruises. Velma walked inside without a sound and tapped on the counter. The girl, who was obviously not expecting company screamed and whirled around to face Velma completely.  
"Who-who are you?" The girl acted as if she expected to be attacked or hurt.  
"It's ok. I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Velma Dinkley, my friends and I built this treehouse. Who are you?"  
"I'm Melinda Cromwell.... Hey wait, I know you... you're from that gang! You're _the _Velma Dinkley! I'm a huge fan of yours!"  
"Oh, jinkies.... Thank you!" Velma said blushing. "But honey, what happened to you?" Velma asked concerned.  
"Oh... ummm...." The girl seemed to be unsure if it would be ok to share.  
"You can tell me. I promise."  
"My dad... he gets drunk a lot, and I'm the only one there...." A tear rolled down the girls cheek and dropped to the ground. Velma went over to the girl and surprised her by giving her a hug. She wasn't used to anyone caring.  
"Come with me." Velma said. "You can stay with us."  
"R-really? You don't think I'm some freak?"  
"No, I think you're a beautiful young lady who needs a place that's safe to stay." The girl was shocked, she barely knew her and already Velma had offered her a kindness that had never been shown to her before....

The gang walked out of the store with their grocereries and loaded them into the Mystery Machine. When they arrived home, Shaggy helped out up the grocereries and then went to go to Velma they were home. He ran up the stairs and to her room. He knocked on the door and entered. "Velma?" Shaggy was surprised when he couldn't find her there. He walked out into the hall and listened. He heard someone in the guest room, so he walked over and knocked on the door.  
"Come in." Came the response.  
"Hey Velms, what are you doing in here?" Shaggy asked walking in. that's when he noticed the young girl sitting on the bed. "Oh, hello."  
"Hey Shaggy, this is Melinda, she'll be staying with us for a while. Melinda, this is my boyfriend, Shaggy." Shaggy smiled, she just called him her _boyfriend.  
_


	17. The Teddy Bear

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Seventeen: The Teddy Bear _**

That night, the gang found out a little more about Melinda Cromwell. The girl had told them of how, when her mother Piper had died when she was only two, her father became an alcholic. That's when he began to abuse her. She said it was because she looked like her mother, and when her father was drunk hed yell things like 'How could you fucking leave me alone with nothing but your fucking brat to look after?' and so on. They also found out she'd been sent to the ICU at Coolsville Medical, but was released yesterday. The only problem was, her father didn't want her. At thirteen years old, she was kicked out of her own home with nothing but what she was wearing at the moment. When Daphne heard that, she immediatly said that a shopping trip was due ASAP.  
"Oh no, you don't have to. I'm being enough of a burden as it is." Melinda said, she already felt bad about having to take up space, but she didn't want to take up money as well.  
"Oh don't worry. We'll be ok, we just want to help you. Come on, it's only six o'clock, there's still a good three or four hours until the stores close. We can take you now." Daphne said, she really wanted to help Melinda.  
"Are-are you sure?" Melinda was dumbfounded. These people were being so nice to her and they didn't want anything in return and they barely knew her!  
"We're absolutely positive." Fred said getting up from the table and going over to the hall closet, getting everybody's coats and gloves out. He even found a spare pair of gloves, a coat, and a hat in the back. "Here," He said handing them to her. "You'll get cold." Melinda gratefully thanked him and slipped the dark red coat on and the matching gloves and hat. Once everybody was ready to go, it only took them fifteen minutes to get to the mall.

"We'll take her shopping for the clothes," Daphne said indicating herself and Velma. "Can you guys go see if you can find some other essentials for her. You know toothpaste, toothbrush, etc."  
"Like, we're on it Daphne!" Shaggy said already beginning to walk into the convienence store next to the mall with Fred.  
"Great. So come on, let's go get you some clothes!" The three girls walked into the mall and began their search. Melinda was overwhelmed with how much these people cared about her. She now had four new sweaters, six new pairs of jeans, five sets of pajamas, two nightgowns, one new pair of sneakers, one pair of snow boots, one pair of house-shoes, one set of hairbands, two packages of socks, four new *ahem* bras, two new packages of *ahem, ahem* underwear, three new long-sleeve shirts, five new t-shirts, and three new skirts. She loved them all, she didn't ask for any of it, she was too shy, but she loved them. When they met up with the boys, she was surprised, she had forgotten they went to get her these, with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner for long hair, some body wash, a body sponge, and just when she thought they couldn't possibly have been more generous and kind, Shaggy announced,  
"And we got you a groovy little friend." Shaggy pulled out from behind him, a pretty red, velvet soft teddy bear that had a card tied around his neck. The card read,

_Welcome to our home Melinda. We know  
that you are not exactly loved at home,  
so we'd appreciate it if you'd become a  
part of our home, and more importantly  
a part of our family, our gang. You won't  
have to worry about not being wanted, or  
being judged, or hurt by us, because we  
would never even think about it. In fact,  
if we did judge people on first glance, I don't  
think we'd be the friends we are today.  
So what do you say? Would you like to be  
the sixth member of Mystery Inc.?_

_Shaggy_

Fred

Melinda felt a tears come to her eyes. She just met these people, and already they have become her family. She looked up and into the face of each member of Mystery In.c in turn, and each one of them nodded and smiled at her. They all knew what the card had said. She smiled and said,  
"I'd love to!" and gave Velma a big hug. Soon all of Mystery Inc. was in one, huge group hug.


	18. The Dream and the Match

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!**

**_Chapter Eighteen: The Dream and the Match_**

Later that night, Velma confronted the gang about the choice she has to make. Of course by now Melinda, who was now wearing a new green sweater and geens with her new sneakers, was informed about Velma's concer. Velma described the surgery and how she'd need a match to have it. The gang had all agreed it was worth a try and would go with Velma to Coolsville Medical to have their bone marrow tested just in case any of them were a match. Velma was relieved, she really did want to try this, but not if the gang didn't want her to.

The next day at Coolsville Medical, the gang was disheartened by the fact that none of them were a match to Velma. She was beginning to lose hope when her new doctor at Coolsville Medical, Dr. Samrah, announced that he had found a match from an anonymous doner. The gang was ecstatic. Velma was due to have surgery the very next day.

That night, Daphne and Fred were out to a movie and Melinda had gone to sleep with Scooby in her room with her, so Shaggy and Velma were left to themselves. They were sitting together in Mystery Inc.'s living room on the blue curved couch. Velma had her head on Shaggy's shoulder and Shaggy hung an arm around her shoulders.  
"Shaggy," Velma said breaking the silence. "What happens, if I make it through surgery and my cancer goes into remission?"  
"I figured we could like, I don't know, keep things going."  
"And you really, love me right?"  
"Of course." Shaggy was wondering where this was going.  
"Ok, I'm just making sure."

Melinda was tossing and turning in her bed, she was having a dream. In her dream, she was running. She was running through woods, running, running. There was something behind her, she could hear it. It was big. She kept running. She felt herself falling, she was falling through a dark hole, nothing to break her fall. She slammed on the ground below, the breath knocked out of her. She was in a small cave. A man entered and laughed a cruel, high-pitched laugh. She shivered, she recognized this laugh.  
"Dad?" She tried to say, but no words would come out. She tried again but her voice kept failing. She was mute. The man came up closer and she saw his face. she screamed and screamed but no sound came. She heard rapid footsteps he was coming closer. She felt a hand go on her shoulder and she continued to scream.  
"Melinda!" The man yelled and continued to yell. Melinda's eyes flew open and she was thrown out of her dream with one final scream, this one audible to her ears.  
"You were having a nightmare. You're ok now." She heard a voice say to her right. She looked over and saw Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby standing by her side. Melinda took slow and steady breaths. Velma sat on the bed beside her, and put a hand on her back.  
"Are you ok?" The concern in her eyes was clear. Melinda still couldn't believe the friends she'd just gotten cared about her this much.  
"I-I'm fine. It was just a bad dream. That's all." Velma could tell there was more to it, but let her leave it at that.  
"Ok, but just know you can always tell us. Sometimes it's better to talk to others, trust me, I know." Velma gave the girl a warm hug and made sure she was ok before she and Shaggy each turned in for the night.


	19. Eight Hours

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Me: Darn you writers block!!!! Anyway, I hope this chapter is good, for some reason lately I've been doubting my writing. **

**_Chapter Nineteen: Eight Hours_**

Velma awoke the next day in her room. Today was the day. She couldn't wait. She got up and immediatly dressed. Afterwards she ran into the hall, flew down the stairs, and down the hall next to the kitchen. She ran up to a green door and threw it open. She saw Shaggy asleep on the bed. She made her way through the mess that is his room and shook Shaggy's shoulder. "Shaggy! Shaggy wake up! We leave in an hour! Wake up!" When Shaggy didn't budge, Velma tried something drastic. She leaned over Shaggy and gave him a kiss, the first one she ever gave to him. Shaggy woke up and looked over to find Velma.  
"You know, I think Daphne's gotten to you." Velma then took a pillow and hit Shaggy over the head. "I take that back. Daphne _has _gotten to you."

An hour-and-a-half later everyone was at the hospital. Velma had just been checked in and was in preparation for the infusion. The gang, even Scooby and Melinda, were going to wait at the hospital till the infusion was over, even if it lasted all night. They were told that it would, should, only take an hour or two at most. The gang waited for six hours.

"Come on stop the bleeding! Stop the bleeding!" Dr. Samrah yelled.

Seven hours.

"Don't just stand there! Hand me my scissors!"

Eight hours.

The gang couldn't sleep and hadn't eaten at all that day. They jumped up whenever a nurse or doctor came out of the double glass doors, always for others. Finally a doctor came out, Dr. Samrah. He approached the gang, still in his scrubs. His face was grim.  
"I have no idea if her body will accept it, but I do know that things aren't looking good. I'm sorry but, Velma could very well be dying.... I'm sorry."


	20. The Darkness

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
Me: I just want to say thanks to Linklovesme for reviewing every time we update :D**

**_Chapter Twenty: The Darkness_**

Velma opened her eyes. Everything was hazy, like a certain glow, almost like a halo, had been placed around everything. There were six faces glowing in front of her. She recognized them.  
"Guys?" She asked, her voice hoarse.  
"It's us." Fred answered getting up from his chair.  
"Are you ok?" Asked Daphne.  
"I...I don't know...."  
"Can we do or get anything for you?" Melinda asked, taking a small step forward. Velma tried to smile.  
"No...I'm fi-fine...." Velma's speach began to slow. She felt her thoughts go soft and her eyes began to close.  
"Velma....Velmaaa....Velmaaahhh...." She heard in the distance. Everything was black. A darkness was covering her mind. She could barely hear her own thoughts, but the ones she did hear, were horrid and cruel. A voice in her mind was telling her that the rest of her had already gone to the darkness, that there was no hope. The darkness had Velma.

* * *

**Me: Well I hate to leave you guys with nothing but a short paragraph, but That's all I really want in this chapter. Velma's point of view.  
Athena: At least they know you'll update soon ^^  
Annabeth: Yea, and there's sure to be a lot of surprises and fun coming up :D  
Arya: Just as long as I'm not in the story, not after the last time I let you put me in a story....  
Me: Hehe, you should have known! You are my mind after all ^^  
Arya: Point taken. Anyway I hope you enjoyed and leave a nice little review for us :D**


	21. The Visitors

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty: The Visitors_**

That night everyone, everyone except Velma, was sitting around that table in the dining room, no one touched their food. Shaggy was beginning to wonder why something scary had to happen to him every other day of his life. They heard a noise come from outside and a flash of light came through the windows. The gang rushed outside and was surprised to see a U.F.O. sitting in the middle of their backyard. Shaggy and Scooby were first to recognize the two forms that came down the ramp. One was a girl. She was maybe 18 years old, with blue, bell-bottom jeans, an orange shirt with a belt on it, brown boots, and a peace sign necklace. Next to her sat a golden retreiver wearing a red bandanna around her neck. Crystal and Amber were back.  
"Hi guys." Crystal said waving merrily to the gang. The only one who was still shocked, and now hiding behind the other members of Mystery Inc., was Melinda.  
"Who-who are you?" She asked shakily. Crystal gave a small giggle.  
"No need to fear, I am Crystal and this is my dog, Amber."  
"Why do you have a spaceship?"  
"We're not from here. We met the gang when we were on a secret mission for our home planet. I don't believe we've met before though. If you don't mind my asking, who are you?" Melinda knew it sounded impossible, but the way Crystal said it, you couldn't help but believe her, whether she looked like an alien or not.  
"I'm Melinda. I'm sorta knew."  
"Well then, it's nice to meet you Melinda." Crytsal looked at the faces around her and noticed one was missing. "I thought Velma went home with you guys. Where is she?" A silence fell on the gang. Who should tell her?  
"Ummm, Crystal... Velma's in the hospital. She just got out of surgery for a BMT, bone marrow transplant, and they think her body's rejecting it and so that's why she's kind of in a coma." Daphne explained quickly. She wanted to cover as much as she could so that the conversation would end early.  
"Oh, why did she need a transplant? I thought humans already had bone marrow of their own."  
"They do, but Velma's wasn't quite doing the job it was supposed to do. She has Leukemia."  
"Oh, I see. Well when I thought I'd drop by for like a simple visit, I didn't think I'd get this kind of news!"  
"Crystal, how long do you plan on staying with us?" Fred asked.  
"I was thinking maybe a week. Not too long."  
"Alright, I'll show you to your-" Fred was cut off by the sound of a car door being shut in the driveway. The gang, along with Crystal and Amber, went to the driveway to investigate. What they didn't expect was to be jumped at from behind.  
"Gotcha!" Three female voices exclaimed.  
"I'd like know those groovy voices anywhere!" Shaggy turned around and saw Thorn, Dusk, and Luna.


	22. Ten Visits and a Secret Revealed

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-One: Ten Visits and a Secret Revealed_**

"Hey, you're the Hex Girls!" Melinda said in excitement. "I read about you in the library!" Thorn gave a small chuckle.  
"I see we have a fan? I don't recall seeing you last time we met up with our friends here."  
"Yea, are you new to the gang?" Dusk asked.  
"Kind of. I'm Melinda. Melinda Cromwell."  
"Well it's very nice to meet you." Thorn said.  
"If you don't mind my asking, is it true you study the way of the Wiccan?"  
"Only Thorn really does, but I guess you could say we all do." Luna answered.  
"Oh, that's really cool!"  
"Hey, where's Velma?" Thorn asked, noticing someone was missing. The gang quickly explained everything that had happened over the past few days, and a silence fell over everybody.  
"Oh, we see." Thorn said, clearly darkened by this news.  
"Is there a way we can visit her while we're here?" Luna added.  
"Yes, we were going to go tomorrow ourselves. You can come with us." Fred said.

The next day, the gang, Crystal, Amber, Thorn, Dusk, and Luna were all at the hospital. Dr. Samrah met them in the hall outside of Velma's room.  
"Now, you each may visit her one at a time. We don't want to overwhelm her. She may be unconscious, but she may still be able to hear. If she can, it may help her. Try bringing her good news, and try to make her mind feel as if she's needed back. It may wake her up. If not, well let's just say the odds are against us."

Daphne went in first. She had to wear a mask and gloves. She told Velma how much she missed her and how much she needed her to come back, that it wouldn't be the same without her best friend with her. Then went Fred. He explained that, like the leader he was, he needed Velma on the team. That it couldn't be Mystery Inc. without her. Then went Scooby. He had tried his best to speak and be understood through his tears, but it didn't work very well. Next came the Hex Girls one by one. They each told Velma what a good friend she was and that they'd miss her at their next show, they were hoping The Meddling Kids would join them onstage. Then came Crystal and Amber. They told her of how they hoped she would come out soon and help them take 'pictures' of Coolsville for their home planet. Next was Shaggy. He told Velma of how much he'd miss her if she left and that he, as well as the gang, needed her in their lives. Then came Melinda's turn. She didn't know what to say. She'd just found a wonderful new friend who cared for her so much already, and she cared about her. Finally she decided to thank Velma and say how much it meant to her that she was shown such great kindess, even by total strangers. She then remembered what Velma had said to her a couple nights ago when she'd had that dream. She silently debated whether or not now would be the moment to tell Velma. She decided that if Velma were to die in that hospital bed, she would die knowing Melinda trusted her enough to tell her. She described her dream to Velma. Telling her everything she felt and saw. She explained that she didn't tell Velma because she didn't want to tell Velma the crime she was guilty of. She told Velma that ever since she was a little girl, she blamed herself for her mother's death. She explained that her mother had been cooking in the kitchen when she started to have pain in her chest. Her mother had fallen to the floor and all Melinda did was stand there in shock the entire time. She explained that the reason she never sought help for her abusement was simply that she thought she deserved it. And finally, last of all, she told Velma her deepest secret. Melinda was a witch. Not just any witch, but the last descendent from a long line of witches, her mother included, though her father never knew, going thousands of years back and starting with Allora Cromwell.


	23. The Silent Argument with an Old Friend

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Two: The Silent Argument with an Old Friend_**

Melinda by now was in tears as she had finished telling Velma everything. "It's ok if you wake up and think I'm some, some freak...." Melinda wiped tears from her eyes as she said this. _Everone else does.... _she walked out of Velma's room, making sure no tears remained and that she looked as normal as can be.

When Melinda got home, she decided that tonight she was going to conduct a dangerous mission. She was going to sneak back to her father's house. Why she was going to was simple. She needed her book. Without it, she has nothing left of her mother. She waited until she could everyone in the house asleep before taking her jacket and and sneaking out the door. What she didn't know was that she was being followed.

Melinda had been walking for about nine or ten minutes when she had a nagging feeling that someone was behind her. She turned around and saw nothing. She turned back around and kept walking. She heard a twig snap. She turned around and saw glowing, yellow eyes in the bushes. She hid a smile and kept her face purposefully in fear. She pretended to shakily approach the bushes. Then, instead of looking warily inside, she jumped behind them and tackled a massive ball of grey and white fur. The furry creature scrambled out from beneath her and gave a huff of defeat and annoyance.  
"Don't play the game if you can't take losing Arya." She joked and stood up. The ball of fur, clearly named Arya, shook the snow off of her pelt to reveal that she was a wolf.  
'Y_ou know, I was only following you because I know exactly what you're up to tonight and I do not approve of this! You would risk your life for that book when all you may need is the help of another wiccan. And don't you give me that look, I am your gaurdian after all. I do happen to know there is another wiccan with you. Why not ask her to help you retrieve the book? Or are you _ashamed _of being a wiccan yourself?' _The wolf told Melinda using the gift of telepathy with her young charge. '_You should be proud to be a Cromwell. There are witches, warlocks, wizards even, who would kill to have the blood that flows through your veins in their own!'  
'Don't you think I know that! You obviously have no idea what it's like to be my kind of wiccan in this kind of world!' Melinda exclaimed, her frustration flowing through their mental link.  
'I may not know what it is like today, but you forget that before I was the gaurdian of this family, I myself was a member of the only family even close to the power of Cromwell family magic. Just because I am 317 years older than you doesn't mean I never went through my execution on April 19th 1692, and it certainly does not mean that I have forgotten what it twas like to be a wiccan during the trials of witchcraft in Salem! When you are nailed to a crucifix and burned alive by people whom you thought you could trust, then you may come and tell me how difficult it is to have numerous powers and extroadinary magic beyond any fools dreams! You are not cursed with magic and you will not act as if you are! Magic, whether you choose to learn this into your thick skull yet or not, is a blessing! Your mother, bless her soul, knew that! She-'  
'Why didn't she tell him then!' _Melinda screamed into her head.  
_'If you must know, she was protecting you. You cannot know everything at the moment as I am only allowed to carefully admit the truth to you as you grow older and your magic becomes more stable and under control, but know that anything your mother did was to protect you. She loved you. More than anything or anyone in the world. And, to let you know a thing or two, she never has and never will blame you for her death. Just know that her death was no accident of nature as was proclaimed by the officials when she died.'_


	24. Come out, Come out, Wherever You Are

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Three: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are...._**

Melinda was shocked. Her mother was murdered and no one ever thought to tell her this! '_You're sure as can be Arya?' _She asked using her mental link.  
'_As can be little one.' _Arya responded walking carefully over to her young charge.  
'_Swear on Allora's amulet?' _Melinda pulled from beneath her shirt a strange pendant. It was darkened and aged by time and travel but the pentagram was still visible. Arya and Melinda both knew the saying that was engraved on the other side of the amulet. _To thine ownself be true._ Arya touched her nose to it and closed her eyes.  
'_By Allora's mighty amulet of life, I swear my trust to you in that all I have led you to believe, is true without a drop of doubt.' _A bright shimmering light surrounded them and the amulet glowed pure white. When the light had vanished and the amulet was once more it's normal color of black, Arya removed her nose from the pentagrams center.  
'_Alright, I believe you. But this does not change my mind. I can't let him find that book. It's been in our family since Allora began it with only a few bits of paper and twine. It's been passed to every Cromwell daughter since the day it was made, I'm not going to be the last. Hopefully father's given up on opening my door. Now you can come with me, or you can stay here or go wherever it is that you go when you're not around, but I'm leaving.' _Melinda started walking and Arya ran in front of her and stopped her.  
'_I will be with you, but don't expect me not to protect you or bring an extra friend.'  
'Who would that be?'  
'Me.' _A voice said from behind. Melinda turned around and was surprised to see Thorn standing there and even more surprised to hear her voice inside of her mind. Thorn was holding a fluffy ball of black fur in her arms. It was unmistakably purring.  
'_Thorn! What are you doing here? And why are you holding Allou? And why could I hear your voice inside my head? I thought you were only a follower of the path, not an actual wiccan!'  
'Allou found me and told me where you were going. I take it she's one of your gaurdians sent to you? And yes, I may not look it, and I am a bit ashamed to admit this, but I am a descendant of Sarah Ravencroft. So yes, I am one of the few true wiccans left in this world. When I heard your name, I knew there was more to you than what appeared. A name like Cromwell, famous not only in our world, is powerful enough to emit a glow of magic to anyone or anything who can hear it or not. I had hoped that you were a descendant of Allora. My hopes were proven correct when you pulled out Allora's amulet. Now tell me, why are you risking your life, and the Cromwell legacy at that, when all you need is my help?' _Melinda sighed and Allou jumped from Thorns arms and went over to her. Melinda picked her up and cuddled her up close.  
'_Because, this is something I need to do on my own. You can come with me, but don't expect me to change my mind and go home. Arya has already agreed to come despite her thoughts.'  
'I will come with you.' _Thorn answered coming over to Melinda. '_Just know that I have grounds to help and protect you when need be.'_

An hour and a half later, the group had arrived at area where her father lived. The house was beautiful on the outside. It was a four-story old victorian house, easily over hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old. It was painted a beautiful shade of lilac and the window-panes and shutters were paimted a pure white. Most of the windows were lined with stained glass with patterns of vines and beautiful purple and white flowers. Melinda carefully climbed one of the Oak trees surrounding the house, followed by Thorn and Allou as Arya stood watch at the base of the tree, and came to a stop when she was close enough to a window on the third floor. She inched over carefully and whisped, "Open." The window slowly slid open without the aid of human hands and Melinda, Thorn, and Allou crawled inside. Melinda carefully walked over to the doorway and kneeled in front of the keyhole. She whisped, "Ears of human no more there, as ears of cat are much more fair." Thorn gasped inwardly as Melinda's ears slowly morphed from normal human ears and into soft, velvet-looking brown ears. They twitched as she listened carefully. "Ears of cat no more fair, ears of human once more there." Melinda's ears morphed back and she stood up. _'No one's on this floor, but I do hear someone on the second floor so be careful so we won't be heard_.' She carefully turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Her heart stopped as it creaked slightly. When she heard no movement coming from the floor below so she decided that it was safe to move on. She walked carefully down the hall and opened a door on the opposite side of the hallway. She took a shaky breath as she looked at the sight. Against the wall on the opposite side was her old bed. Her room looked fairly average, no signs that a young girl was once abused there. She tip-toed over to the bed and kneeled on the floor. She lifted up her bed-skirt and crawled underneath her bed. When she came back out, she was holding a fairly large box in her arms_. 'Ok, I have everything. Actually wait!'_ Melinda gave the box to Thorn and, without thinking, ran out of the room and up the stairs to the fourth floor. Thorn and Allou, completely forgetting where they were, ran after her. Their movement did not go unnoticed**_.  
_**Downstairs, a tall man stood from his chair and smiled. In an eerily familiar voice he said, "She's back."  
Melinda ran into a room that clearly had not been used in years as dust was covering most furniture. She walked over to a dresser and opened the first drawer.  
'_Melinda! Are you crazy? What was that all about?' _Came Thorn's voice inside Melinda's head.  
_'I had to come back for this.' _Melinda said holding up a picture of a young woman with hair and eyes identicle to Melinda's and a smile so bright, it just made you want to smile yourself despite your situation.  
'_Alright, but we need to leave now!' _Thorn warned her as she picked up Allou and set her on top of the box she was still carrying. Suddenly they heard it. Someone was coming up th stairs. _'Hide!'_ Melinda put the picture in her pocket and hid in the back of the room beneath the bed. Luckily she was small enough to fit in there with Allou. Thorn herself hid quickly inside a wardrobe at the far end of the room. The man entered the room just after Thorn had closed herself inside. He smiled when he saw the open drawer.

Outside Arya was getting restless. _They should've been back by now...._

The man walked around the room, teasing the girls. "You don't have to fear me, whatever I do or say to you will only be what's fair. It's over now. The game. You can come out. Come out, come out, wherever you are...." He said in false voice one might associate with that of a television serial killer. He smiled as he heard a voice from beneath the bed.

Melinda's heart stopped as he entered the room. She grew even more afraid as he began to walk around asking her to come out. That's when Allou began to purr. '_Shhh! Allou!' _Melinda tried telling the kitten. She knew it was too late. She heard footsteps coming closer and closer to her choice of a hiding place. She had to think quickly.

The man knelt down and slowly lifted his hand toward the bedskirt. He snatched it up quickly and looked underneath the bed. Nothing there.

Melinda held her breath as she hoped she could stay up against the wooden boards supporting the bed. She did only have one arm for support as the other was holding Allou close as can be. She heard the man stand up and curse.

"Now, I'm being more than generous with you." The man said, annoyance coming through in his voice.

Thorn was afraid. Not for herself, but for Melinda and Allou. She had to make a distraction so that they could escape.

The man gave up on the idea that they might be in this room. He walked out of the room.

Melinda let out a barely audible sigh as she heard him going downstairs and slid out from beneath the bed with Allou.

Arya knew they were in trouble. She decided that if any time to use her special powers, for emergencies only, now was the time.

Thorn stepped out of the wardobe and she and Melinda crept out of the room. Melinda reused her hearing spell and listened. According to her ears, he was on the first floor, with someone else.

Arya transformed herself from a common wolf, into a beautiful woman in colonial clothing. She had long brown hair that hung gracefully to her middle-back, and a fairytale look to her. The only thing about her appearence that was strange was her eye color. It was a stormy grey.

The man heard a knock on the door two floors below. He went downstairs and opened the door to find a beautiful woman in clothing that hadn't been worn in hundreds of years. "Hello, how may I help you?" He asked politely.  
"My name's Arya."


	25. Into the Trees

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Five: Into the Trees_**

"Arya? An interesting name. What can i do for you?" He asked her.  
"I'm here to promote the Rennasaince fair coming to town in a few months. We like to send messengers ahead just like in the old days." Arya explained. _I would know. _The man was skeptical of her, but he decided if you were going to live like it was a few hundred years back, you might as well do it right.  
"And I suppose you're the messenger?"  
"Yes I am."

'_It's Arya!' _Melinda was surprised. '_But, she's using a human voice....'  
'We don't have time to think about that! Let's just use this distraction to get out of here.' _Thorn told her. _'Come on, let's go.'  
'Fine.' _Melinda and Thorn crept slowly down the stairs until they were on the landing just above the first floor. Melinda used her cat ears once more and confirmed he was still talking with Arya at the door. They crept down the stairs to the first floor, not daring to even breathe. They crept slowly down a hallway and out a backdoor shutting it carefully. As soon as they could they ran into the surrounding trees and hid behind a large oak.  
_'Never. Again.'_ Thorn told her giving her a piercing stare. _'Here's your stupid box.'_ Thorn said handing it to Melinda. Allou jumped out of Melinda's arms and walked off into the woods. Neither girl went after her, she was probably going off to hunt. _'When do you think Arya will be back?'  
'I don't know.... She must be using her special powers.'  
'Can't you use your cat ears or something to listen in on their conversation?'  
'I would, but cat ears wouldn't be enough from this distance. Maybe dragon's ears?'  
'I don't care! Just try it!' _Thorn was anxious, if it wasn't Arya....  
"Ears of cat or human will not do, dragon's ears might if they hear their cue."  
_'That was your spell?'  
'It's hard making spells up!' _Melinda's ears started to turn a purplish color and grew pointed. She had dragons ears! She listened carefully.

"Look, I'm not interested lady! I have a few mice to kill in the wife's room." He protested. Why couldn't she get it that he just wasn't interested?  
"But sir! Thou hast not thought this through clear enough! There will be jousting and umm feasts!" Arya protested.  
"Not interested!" He yelled slamming the door in her face.  
"No!." Arya silently berated herself. Hoping she gave them enough time to escape. Suddenly she felt a presence, she looked towards the woods and cocked her head in the all too familiar cat-like gaze she often had_. Could they be_...? She moved towards the woods, still in human form, and looked through two of the trees. "Melinda!" She eclaimed and ran over, shocking the young girl by giving her a hug. Arya wasn't one for showing her affection or concern for others.  
"Arya?" Melinda asked.  
"Of course! This will ware off eventually, but the important thing is, you three made it out. Where did Allou go?"  
"She ran off."  
"Why do you have dragons ears?"  
"I thought they were cool." Melinda told her sarcastically.  
"Haha very funny. Just change back."  
"Ears of dragon no longer do, ears of human now hear their cue."


	26. Preparations

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Six: Preparations_**

Melinda's ears turned back into their human form and Arya had begun to transform back. Within a few minutes, Arya was once more a wolf, and the girls had started their way back to Mystery Inc. Headquarters. When they got back, It was close to sunrise. Melinda quickly ran up to her room and changed her clothing so that she wore her purple nightdress and shoved the box under her bed. She mussed up her hair a bit, then scrambled into her bed, turning off of her lamp. She didn't know it, but Arya was sleeping outside her window, silently keeping watch over her charge.

The next morning, Melinda told the gang that she didn't feel too well. The gang looked worried, but they let her lay in bed.

As soon as Melinda was by herself in her room, she pulled her box out from underneath her bed. She opened it and pulled out a giant, leather-bound book. The cover was aged and the pages were anywhere from semi-white to a dark yelllow of age. On the cover, a sewn-on picture was shown. It was a beautiful, faded red rose. It wasn't in full bloom, simply a bud opening up. Around the rose, a soft gold light was etched in, to make the rose look as if it was aglow in an orb of pure sunset light. Simmering colors were everywhere within the light and little twinkles of white, almost like the twinkling dust of magic, were visible everywhere within the light. The book itself however, was made of black leather. Melinda opened to the very first page and read the inscription written, most visible, in ink that was used with a feather quill.

_"Young Cromwell wiccan, embrace your magic and read what lies within the pages of our destiny. These spells, enchantments, incantations, and potions will help you defeat those demons that lie, not only out in the world before you, but within you as well. Know that you are not, nor will you ever be alone in our world. There will always be others to help and guide you on your path of destiny and fate. Should you ever find yourself in need, do not only look within the pages of this book, look within. There is more than just magic that lies within the heart. There is light. That light will guide you forever on, whether you are among the living, or not. __Let the light of your heart, guide your way."_

Melinda held back her tears after she read the last line. _Let the light of your heart, guide your way.... _Her mother used to tell her that when she was little. It was one of the only things she remembered. She swallowed her tears and set the book down on the bed. Next, she took several candles, all pin size, from the box. Once she set them around the room, they grew into candles of all size. It took her a while, but Melinda went around the room to each candle and blew gently on the wick. The candles lit, like magic. Next, she took out incents and set a few around the room and lit them, not by blowing on them, but by gently moving her hand over the tip of the incents. She then took out a mound of cloth and held it out. It fell into a beautiful red dress going who knows how far back. It had a white ruffle at the top that was tied in the middle with a red string, and the sleeves were white as well. The corsett area was a rich brown that reached to the tip of her waist and up to the tip of her bosom where the white had started. On the brown were patterns of red roses on deep green vines. Below that, the dress was a scarlet red and rippled to the floor. Melinda set it carefully down on her bed. She took out a few pairs of petticoats and set them with the dress. Next she drew out a pair of red satin slippers that matched the red of the dress. She then took out the amulet from beneath her shirt and set it with the other objects on the bed. At that moment, Melinda heard a knock on the door. She opened her mind to her surroundings and sensed another magical being. Thorn.  
"Yes?" She asked politely. Thorn entered with Dusk and Luna and closed the door behind them.  
"Don't worry. They know everything. I'm here to help with whatever spell you're going to look up. I had a feeling that that's what was in your box." Thorn explained.  
"Oh, well... thanks. Just let me finish unpacking." .Melinda then took various ingredients and strange objects out and placed them in drawers around her room until only one item remained within the box. Melinda took out a broom, surprising Thorn. She then turned to the dress.  
"Should we-" Luna began, but Melinda waved her off with her hand.  
"I have other ways." Melinda said with a smile. She snapped her fingers and the dress swirled around her and she was wearing it. She took the shoes and slipped them on, then the amulet was placed around her neck once more where it glowed at the touch of her skin.


	27. Finding the Spell

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Seven: Finding the Spell_**

"Wow! How did you do that?" Dusk asked. Melinda smiled and told it her it was just simple magic. She put the box back underneath the bed and picked up the broom. A second knock sounded at the door. Melinda once more reached out with her mind, this form wasn't human. She opened the door to find Crystal, Amber, Allou, and Arya standing there together.  
"Ummm, come in?" Melinda was confused, why were they all here?  
"We have come to help." Amber explained. "We thought that maybe with a little of our own powers our kind is able to use, it would help the power that you have." Melinda beckonned them in and closed the door behind them.  
"Alright, just let me get everything set up."  
"This book, it's really beautiful. Where did you get it?" Luna asked holding the book up carefully. "It looks hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old!"  
"Oh, it's a family heirloom. My ancestor, Allora, started it to help her daughter Athena wgen she could no longer be around to help her. It's been passed on to each new Cromwell generation ever since." She explained taking the broom once more.  
"Don't tell me you're going to fly on that thing, are you?" Dusk asked her a little anxiously.  
"No, don't be silly! I have to use the old ways of the wiccan. I'm going to set a little magic in the room."  
"Oh, how are you going to do that with a broom?"  
"Magic can be stirred into the air by a wiccan if she takes a broom made with branches of Holly, as it is believed to possess magical powers, and sweeps the broom accross the floor with a steady rhythm to the east."  
"Oh, that's nice...." Melinda gently swept the broom accross the floor in front of her to her right. The broom seemed to be alive, a sudden feeling was added to the room. A sort of soft, warm glow. Melinda swept for another ten minutes, sometimes muttering words beneath her breath. When she was done, she set the broom in the corner of her room and took the book. she began flipping through the pages. After a few minutes, the book had become restless and knew what she was looking for. The pages began to rapidly turn themselves. Melinda was the only one not shocked by this action. The book stopped on a dime and Melinda read the heading at the top written in Calligraphy. _'The Bonding Spell'_


	28. Performing Magic

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

**_Chapter Twenty-Eight: Performing Magic_**

Shaggy paced in his room. He was worried. Something had happened that shouldn't have happened, the question was what? Scooby watched his friend pace from on top of the bed. He was beginning to worry about Shaggy. Shaggy looked over and Scooby and sighed. He sat down on the bed next to him and rubbed him behind the ears.  
"Sorry Old Buddy. I don't mean to make you worry. I just like need to figure out what's wrong with her. It's just not making any sense. It like doesn't make me feel too good that Melinda's sick either. The pieces don't fit...."  
"Rhy dron'r rou rust gro ralk to Relinda?" Scooby suggested. Amber had already told him what was going on and left it to Scooby to get the rest of the gang to volunteer their help.  
"Like I guess I could... but I thought you weren't supposed to disturb sick people?"  
"Raggy."  
"Like okay Scoob, I'll go." Shaggy was resistant. He didn't want to see any more people sick that he cared about. "But can I go like get Freddie and the, I mean Daphne...?"  
"Rine, rut Ri'm roing rith rou." Scooby hopped off of the bed and Shaggy followed.

* * *

"Fred, what happens, if you know... Velma.... Velma dies?" Daphne asked sitting down on the bed in his room.  
"She's not going to die Daph, she's a strong person, she'll make it through.... She has to...." Fred tried to reassure her as he sat down next to her.  
"How do you think Shaggy's holding up, we don't see him very much." Daphne commented on the fact that he was hardly ever seen around the house.  
"I don't know, I guess about as well as I would be if I were going to lose you." Daphne looked up at him, why did she have to choose now to be pregnant and in love? When her best friend is dying? "Let's talk about something a little happier, you need to get off of this topic, it can't be healthy for you."  
"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"  
"I don't know, too early."  
"Do you want a boy, or a girl?"  
"Either's fine with me as long as it looks like you if it's a girl."  
"I don't know, I think Mystery Inc. needs another blond around here." Daphne joked. A knock resounded on the door. Fred got up and opened it.  
"Come in." He said seeing Shaggy and Scooby there. "What do you guys need?"  
"Like, did you wanna come with us to see Melinda. I kinda don't want to go like you know by myself." Shaggy admitted.  
"Sure we'll go." Daphne said getting up from the bed and walking out the door followed closely by all three of Mystery Inc.'s male members.

* * *

"What will a bonding spell do?" Thorn asked.  
"It just might save Velma." Melinda said smiling. "It's a little tricky, but if I do it correctly, this spell will bond you're magic, Crystal and Amber's powers, Arya and Allou's essence, my magic, and everyone else's own natural power, which believe me you all have, to Velma. It is painless and it will allow me to work from here on Velma's body where she needs healing most."  
"That's amazing!" Luna and Dusk both exclaimed.  
"I'm going to need everyone's full consent to do this though. You have to be willing in every way for it to work." Melinda surveyed the room with her eyes and saw a nod from each person. She was about to start, when a third knock resounded on the door. Who could it be this time? Crystal answered the door and allowed four figures to walk inside. Fred, Daphne, and Scooby. Upon their confused looks, everything was explained and they had four new volunteers.  
"It won't hurt the baby will it?" Daphne asked.  
"No, it's totally safe, in fact all it will do is add the baby to the list. I promise it won't be hurt."  
"Alright." Melinda picked up the book and read the instructions.  
"I don't suppose we have any more broomsticks do we? We need at least one per person to hold."  
"I think we might have enough, but I'm not sure." Fred counted the number of people in the crowded room. Twelve. "Yea I think we have just enough." Fred went through the entire house and managed to find eleven more brooms. Melinda used her own. Fred helped Melinda move furniture around so that they could stand together in a circle each holding a broom.  
"Now stand together, hold your brooms at staff length handle to brush." Everyone did as told. "Now, this spell will only work if we work as one." Melinda warned stepping into the circle. Melinda began to chant in a forgotten language of magic.  
"Are we supposed to join in?" Shaggy whispered to Fred. Fred shrugged.  
_'Yes you are.' _Arya told them already chanting along within her own mind, holding the broom steady in her mouth. Soon everyone had caught onto the chanting and were chanting in unison. Wind began to circle around them and Melinda's amulet glowed a bright white and Melinda's chanting sped up. Suddenly the rush of air was gone and everyone, including Melinda, was short of breath.  
"Was that it? Are we done?" Daphne asked once she had caught her breath. She never recieved an answer. Melinda had blacked out on the floor.


	29. Following the Light

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Following the Light**_

"Melinda!" Fred shouted running over to her. Arya stopped him from touching her. "What are you doing?"  
_'It's part of the spell. She will work from within her own mind. Don't move her or you could jeoprodize everything we just worked for.' _She snapped at him.

Melinda explored Velma's subconsciousness and body looking for errors. It took her several hours but she finally managed to unlock Velma's heart and look inside. She saw exactly what she guessed would be there. Inside Velma's heart, another force loomed.

"She's been unconcious for a long time... are you sure she's okay?" Daphne asked nervously from the bed where she now sat. Arya was pacing the room nervously.  
_'If everything goes according to plan she should be out within the next few minutes....' _Arya didn' sound too sure.

Melinda searched for the force, but she couldn't find it. When she was about to give up, a thought banged into her head. She realized exactly where it was and how to find it. Why hadn't she seen this before! It was all in the inscriptions left by Allora. _Let the light of your heart giude your way...._ That meant she had to use her own heart to follow a light within Velma's! _To thine ownself be true.... _That meant if she allowed all of her true self to follow that light, she could finf him. Melinda began to open her heart which had been closed for so long. A bright light glowed and she began to follow it. She heard noises, the force was getting closer. She ran faster.

"It's been another hour, I think we should start worrying now." Daphne said glancing at Melinda's form, still lying on the floor.  
"Another hour. Give her another hour." Thorn said trying to be light on the subject.  
_'I can assure you young ones, my Melinda is strong. She can and she will do this.' _Arya said hoping she sounded strong. _She has too...._ she thought privately. _She has too...._

Melinda was still running. She stopped and shivered as she felt the force behind her. She recognized this force.... It couldn't be....  
_'I was wondering when you'd show up to try and save your little friend.' _The force told her cruelly.  
_'Why are you here? What do you have against her?' _Melinda said turning around to face the force. To face her father.


	30. The Battle

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

_**Chapter Thirty: The Battle**_

_'You know nothing of my past. You know nothing of your own past.'_ He sneared.  
_'What do you mean I know nothing of my own past?' _Melinda questioned. What kind of sick game was he playing?  
_'Your bitch of a mother was already pregnant when we met.' _Melinda froze. Had she heard correctly?  
_'Wh-what? How is that possible? You-you were my father.... That means.... Then who is my father?'_

"It's been another half-an-hour. What's going on?" Fred asked looking down at Melinda's form.  
"For all we know, she could have ebcountered another force within Velma. If that happens, we could lose her forever, that is if they get into a fight and she loses." Thorn said after reading the description in the book.

_'I thought you would have caught onto that one. I killed your father after a failed attempt at trying to kill another. Your father was Samuel Bennette.'_ Melinda thought back to when she was younger, she remembered reading online about a man named samuel Bennette. He was murdered in a cave in the woods nine months before she was born.... She searched her thouts for any memories of a failed attempt at murder shortly before this incident. Only one came to mind, and she didn't like it, not one bit.  
_'Who was the other?' _The man smiled cruelly. _'You should know. You're trying to save her as we speak are you not?'  
'You are him! You gave Velma the bone marrow didn't you! It was contaminated wasn't it!' _Melinda accused angrily.  
_'Well, well. Look who's finally catching on.'_

Arya paced back and forth on her padded paws. Why was she taking so long?

_'Now, now that you know everything, I might as well tell you the best part. Your friend only has ten minutes left. Oh, and to save her, you have to deafeat me.'  
'I can, and I will.' _Melinda gripped the hilt of her hidden dagger.  
_'Your mother said the same thing, until I killed her with her own magic.'  
'You! You're the reason my mother died and I've been living in hell for eleven years!'  
'Now, now, where have our manners gone?' _Melinda took her dagger then and lunged at him. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it back.  
_'I broke your arm once, I can break it again.' _Melinda managed to kick him in the groin and get loose. She spun around, her dress swirling around her, and lunged again. They toppled to the floor and began rolling around, each fighting for dominance over the other. They kept fighting and Melinda finally had dominance and she saw something flash in his eyes. He grabbed her wrist with both of his hands and crashed the knife down into his chest.


	31. Saving Velma

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

_**Chapter Thirty-One: Saving Velma**_

Melinda got up shakily and checked her watch. Only two minutes left. She had to work fast. She ran towards the light once more and began to look for the poisoned bone marrow. Five seconds left. Only one last bit to go. She began to use all that was left of her energy and healed the bone marrow.

Everyone gasped inwardly as Melinda's hand twitched. The first to approach her was Thorn. She took an incent and waved it gently beneath her nose and Melinda began to stir once more. She opened her eyes and everyone let out pent in sighs of relief. She was ok. Melinda tried to sit up, but she immediatly fell back.  
"Are you like ok?" Shaggy asked nervously holding out a hand to her.  
"I-I'm fine, I just... used too much energy... is all. You may not see it... but magic can use a lot... of energy." She explained taking his hand. Pain shot through her entire body as she tried to stand. She began to wobble and Fred had to catch her before she fell onto the ground behind her. After a few minutes of arguing, Melinda caved and allowed Shaggy to carry to her to the car. Once everyone was inside, a very tight fit since Arya and Allou were coming to watch over Melinda, they were off to Coolsville Medical.

Once there, they raced inside and into Velma's room, Shagy still carrying Melinda. He set her down carefully on the bed propped up against the footboard.  
"Velma?" He whispered to her gently shaking her shoulder. Everyone held their breath. Velma stirred and everyone sighed aloud.  
"Shaggy?" She asked, her voice weak. He smiled and kissed her forehead.  
"Shaggy." He answered.


	32. Three Years Later

**AN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!  
**

_**Chapter Thirty-Two: Three Years Later**_

Melinda woke up to the rude awakening of the slobbery kisses from Scooby she recieved every morning.  
"Come on Scoob. Can't I just sleep in today?"  
"Relinda! Rit's Raturdray!" Melinda yawned and sat up in her bed. The sixteen year old searched through her head to figure out what was supposed to happen this Saturday.  
"Oh, yea. We have to go to Italy today! I totally forgot! I haven't even packed yet!" Melinda threw back her covers and jumped out of bed. She began rapidly throwing clothes out of her closet until a sudden thought struck her. She had magic, duh. She began to make objects and items fly through the air and into her suitcase. When it wouldn't close she and Scobby both jumped on it. At that moment a knock was heard on her door and Melinda, quickly snapped her fingers so that she was dressed and her hair brushed.  
"Come in!" Velma and Shaggy entered the room and laughed at the sight of her. In Melinda's haste she had chosen to wear a pink sweater over bell-bottom jeans and a skirt. "Hey Mom, Dad, I'm ready to go!" Shaggy laughed and turned Melinda around to face the mirror. Melinda turned beat red and changed by magic so that she was wearing normal clothing. "Oops."  
"Mommy!!!" Came two screaming voices running down the hall and straight into Velma. Upon seeing Melinda, the smaller of the two young girls ran over and hugged her.  
"Sissy, sissy! We're going to Italy!" Melinda smiled and picked her up. She had dark brunette curls that hung past her shoulders, dark chocolate brown eyes, a pair of small glasses, and a bright green, short-sleeved dress on, which underneath had a bright orange shirt.  
"That we are Anna." She said tucking a loose curl behind her ears. Velma had already picked up the other whirlwind girl. She had dirty-blond messy curls that were tied back in a pony-tail, a small pair of glasses over her amber and chestnut eyes, and a bright red dress with short-sleeves under which she wore a brown shirt that fit her in a baggy yet cute way.  
"Mommy, when do we get to go on the hair-plane?" Velma smiled.  
"That's air-plane Susie, and we can leave in a few minutes. We still have to dress your baby brother and sister, and Aunt Daphne has to get Danny, James, and Kylie ready."  
"Can't Mary and Chastain stay here with Danny, James, and Kylie?" Susie asked giving her puppy eyes her best.  
"No, they're coming with us."  
"Daddy?" Anna asked looking over at Shaggy. "Why do we haf to go to Italy?"  
"Because, Mysteries are like a delicious P.B.J. and S. sandwhich. Wherever it goes, we go!" He joked making everyone in the room laugh. Making the family laugh. Though Shaggy may have said it as a joke, he really had a point. Inside he knew that Mystery Inc. was the sandwhich and that he would follow it anywhere. He stood there taking in the sight. His daughters, Melinda, Susie, Anna, and little two year old Mary who had just wobbled in, his son, Chastain, in her wake. His beautiful wife, Velma. Fred, Daphne, Scooby his most trusted friends who were by now with them and joking along. Their children, Danny, James, and Kylie by their side. Never would he let another moment slip past him. Forever, he would be there, with them where he belonged. His family.


End file.
